21. Tori

21

TORI

Nathan came back into the treehouse soaking wet from the rain that started to pour down. He stripped as soon as the door slammed shut behind him.

Rain pounded against the roof, and the sound thudded with a calming rhythm.

“I’ll start the fire,” Calix murmured, kissing my temple as he got up and went to the wood stove.

He’d bandaged my arm tight and cleaned and disinfected it so well that I wasn’t worried about any infection happening. Thankfully, it wasn’t as deep as it looked in the woods. It just bled a lot for some reason.

Thinking back to our time in the woods earlier, my body flushed with heat. It was worth the pain.

“Dad has issued new rules in light of the infected mountain lion roaming around. Doors and windows must be closed and locked at all times. Keep a curtain over any windows, and don’t go out alone. We’re implementing a buddy system,” Nathan told us as Micah passed him new clothes to put on.

Micah came back with a sheet and duct tape to tape over the window, and I got up off the couch and went over with the guys to peer out.

The sky had darkened considerably even though it wasn’t sunset yet, and sheets of rain seemed to stretch on forever, blurring our vision of outside. Raindrops raced down the window, each streak coming together to form a waterfall as the wind blew the rain into us.

A pit of dread swelled in my gut as Micah and Nathan taped the sheet to the window while Calix covered the rest. “To be honest, it feels like something bad’s going to happen.”

“What do you mean, darlin’?” Micah finished securing the sheet before turning back to me.

“I don’t know how to explain it.”

“We’ll be extra careful then, killer. It’s all we can do, and we had a rough day.” Nathan tilted his head and handed the duct tape back to Micah.

“I’ll double check the treehouse though.” Micah immediately started checking all entrances and exits before assuring me everything was okay.

We managed to eat a small dinner before heading into Micah’s bed, and before Calix could turn toward his bedroom, my hand grabbed his wrist and tugged.

“I need you all with me tonight.”

His eyes softened as he smiled and nodded, blowing out the candles in the living room and following us into Micah’s room.

Once we were wrapped in the fluffy comforter I’d brought from my room and a few more layers of blankets, I sank into the soft mattress and soaked in the warmth of my boyfriends as the rain tumbled down the roof.

I drifted off to sleep content, but that ball of dread in my gut didn’t ease.

One loud screamand a ferocious roar jolted us from our sleep.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears as we shot out of bed and rushed to get our clothes and weapons. Everything buzzed around me as worry gnawed through my brain. I hoped and prayed it wasn’t my parents or Spencer who had screamed.

Micah threw the front door open, and shock slammed into me hard as a loud crack resounded from Ava’s treehouse. Orange flames danced in the night, twisting and consuming the treehouse without mercy.

Thick black smoke rolled out of the windows and open door as more screams filled the air from inside. The fire engulfed an entire side of the treehouse before the thick sheet of rain went into a heavier downpour that made it dwindle, but not before a few flaming wood pieces fell onto the smaller supply shed below their home, eating through the roof in no time before it eventually stopped spreading, letting the rain put it out.

It took only seconds for us to snap out of the shock.

“Everyone stick together and watch out. That roar was the mountain lion. Weapons up.” Micah was the first to descend, then Nathan, and then me. Calix helped me down until my hands gripped the wet wooden deck, but my fingers slipped from the side, and my foot missed the first peg leg.

“Tori!” Calix shouted, and I squeezed my eyes shut as I fell.

The rain pelted into my skin even as I fell with it, but two strong arms caught me before I smacked into the ground. “I caught you, darlin’. Can you stand?”

“Yes!” Gasping, I gripped Micah’s arms as he and Nathan steadied me. “Thank you.”

“Careful,” Nathan called up to Calix, who successfully managed to get down the ladder.

Our shoes smacked against the wet muddy clearing as we ran toward the dwindling flames and thick smoke of Ava’s treehouse where Benjamin and Sally stood in front of it, waving their hands and shouting their names.

Charles stumbled out, clutching his head before helping Ava get down the ladder, but she slipped on the last peg, and Benjamin moved forward to catch her.

Her eyes were frantic, and she trembled violently as she coughed. “We didn’t close the bedroom window. I don’t even know why it was open. It got in when we were sleeping and knocked over the candle by our bed. Jack’s in there with it!”

Charles stumbled back in, and Micah cursed before gripping his axe tighter and kissing my temple. Then he stormed up the ladder to help.

My heart twisted in my chest as I watched him go, but I knew he had to help. They had to be okay.

There was a guttural growl before it went silent, and my entire body thrummed with unease as Nathan held me to his chest tightly.

It took too long for Micah to exit the treehouse with Charles and Jack behind him, and once they were all down safely, and Ava ran into her husband’s arms, I ran into Micah’s.

His arms caged around me safely, and he kissed my head. “I’m fine, darlin’. The mountain lion is dead. Jack killed it just as I got in there.”

Relief plowed through me, but the dread only eased a little bit.

“Thank God for the rain,” Benjamin muttered as he ran a hand down his face, staring at the supply shed.

Sally glanced at us before giving us a thankful smile. “Thank God you are going on a supply run tomorrow.”

“It tried to run from the flames.” Ava’s voice cracked. “Since when do zombies run from danger if it meant infecting someone?”

“I don’t know,” Jack choked. “But I never want to encounter one like that again. It was too smart, and it was so fucking hard to kill.”

Charles didn’t say anything as he held onto his wife, but the look on his face showed the trauma they’d just gone through in there.

“You can stay with us,” Sally offered.

The rain pounded down, making it to where everyone had to shout to be heard.

“Thank you!” Ava nodded at them.

Benjamin smacked Nathan’s shoulder and squeezed. “Be safe, son. We’re thankful it turned out this way and nothing worse.”

“You too, Dad,” Nathan murmured before we stood there for another minute, staring at the destruction of the treehouse.

It wasn’t as bad as it could be, but it wasn’t good either. The walls and roof were burnt down on the side of their bedroom and halfway into their living room.

“Let’s get back in our home,” Micah told us, and we all followed his lead to the treehouse.

I was thankful my parents and Spencer’s treehouse was locked up tight, but I was also slightly happy they hadn’t heard anything and had to witness that.

Nathan and Micah both helped me up the ladder and onto the deck safely before we went inside, and the warmth of the treehouse helped ease the bone-chilling cold from the rain and temperature. We discarded our soaked clothes and got into something warm and dry before we piled into Micah’s bed and held each other tight.

I didn’t want to think about how many more large predatory animals were zombified and intelligent roaming around us in the forest.

Solid sheetsof rain poured through the night, battering the Oasis with fierce winds, but as we left the treehouse and headed to the clearing in the morning, the dark clouds parted for the morning sun that bathed our home in a gray light that showed the clear damage of Ava’s treehouse and the supply shed.

“I hope the fire didn’t give our location away to any others in the area,” Nathan muttered, but Micah shook his head.

“No. I don’t think so. Not with the amount of rain last night. Anyone smart would be sheltered and unable to see it.”

“But the roar and screams?” Calix asked with a shiver.

“The rain was so hard, maybe it drowned that out.” Micah shrugged, but his eyes were tense as he surveyed the clearing and all the damage.

Benjamin and Dad came out of the supply shed with grim expressions.

“We were already low on medical supplies, but the fire got to most of what we had left,” Benjamin informed us with a sigh. “Good thing you guys had planned to head out today. Temperatures are taking a nosedive, so take the tent. Shelter in any place you can on the trip.”

Daisy and Jay strolled behind Mom and Spencer as they walked over with bags slung over their shoulders and baseball bats in their hands.

My brows raised as I tilted my head at them.

“We thought you could use the extra eyes. Safety in numbers, and quite frankly, they need to get their heads on straight. If they can’t handle working with you as a team, they don’t return back here.” Benjamin crossed his arms as they came up, and Daisy bit down on her lip without saying a word.

“Okay,” Nathan murmured, and everyone grew tense.

I knew that was the smart thing to do. I’d been able to live with them for so long because they mostly avoided me and never made the comments Daisy had since the horde. It was a toxic environment due to her constant issues with me, and the zombie apocalypse was bad enough.

“I wish I could go with you.” Spencer threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly.

I let Nathan hold my golf club as I hugged her back. “I know. But Mom and Dad need your help with the animals. Besides, I think Ava could use your support right now.”

She sniffled and pulled back with a nod. “I know, I know. Be safe out there, okay?”

“I promise.”

“Here. This will be easier for now.” Nathan fastened my golf club to my backpack.

“It takes two days to get to the town in the east,” Micah explained, clasping his hands together. “We tried to go to the city in the west when we ran into the horde, but that trip is over a week long, maybe more. With the weather the way it is, we don’t have that long so we need to go to the town.”

“Are we taking the horses?” Jay asked, but Nathan shook his head.

“No horses. Better to go on foot in case we run into people. Raiders are notorious for only hitting towns and cities. Everything may be wiped out already honestly,” Nathan answered with a frown. “Horses will make it more difficult to hide if we need to.”

I swallowed a lump in my throat as Calix bumped his shoulder against mine.

“We should be back in four days then.” Micah glanced around the group. “It’s important to stay together and not wander off. I’ll lead this trip, so what I say goes. Got it?”

Everyone nodded, including Jay and Daisy.

I just hoped this trip would go smoothly, but the ball of dread nestled in my lower gut told me something even worse would happen.

“Everyone double check their bags. Make sure everyone has enough water and food for a week,” Nathan instructed as he slung his backpack off. “Have at least two extra sets of clothes and your weapons.”

“I’ll grab the tent.” Micah went toward the larger shed. “Nathan, can you grab the rope?”

“I think Calix should grab that,” he teased, and Calix’s face went red before he stalked off toward the treehouse to get the rope currently tied to his bed frame.

Spencer grabbed my arm and pulled me away with a wide grin. “Bondage play?”

I groaned as I nodded, but I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading over my lips. “Yes. Calix is surprisingly really into restraining me, and not just because of the lack of control.”

“I’m jealous,” she whined, and I frowned before pulling her into another hug.

“The world may have ended, but don’t give up hope just yet. I’m sure someone is out there that you’ll click with.”

“If we ever find them,” she muttered before pulling away and shaking her head. “I accept the loner life for a little longer.”

“Can I talk to you?” Jay interjected, running a hand through his hair.

I glanced back and noticed Daisy was gone and raised a brow.

“Daisy went back to the treehouse to grab something,” he explained.

“You can talk.” I crossed my arms along with Spencer, who glared daggers at him.

“Look, I know since the horde came through things got worse with us and Daisy.” His frown deepened, and he tapped his thumb on his palm. It was a nervous habit he’d had since I’d known him. “But it’s because she’s worried you still have feelings for me. I made the mistake of venting to her about the attention you were showing your boyfriends, and she took it as jealousy. My point is, she’s not thinking rationally. I owe you so many apologies. I doubt you can forgive me, but I don’t want us to be thrown out of this place because Daisy can’t control herself.”

I let out a long sigh. “Why do you care who I’m involved with now?”

“I don’t. I mean, it’s not about that. I’m just sorry.”

My head tilted as I processed what he had said, and once I did, a chuckle bubbled out of me. “Are you honestly apologizing to me just because you’re worried about getting kicked out?”

His eyes widened as he shook his head. “No! That’s not the only reason. I really do know how badly I fucked up. I shouldn’t have ever gone there with Daisy without breaking up with you first, and I don’t have an excuse for that. But I am sorry it hurt you.”

I shook my head as my chest throbbed with a dull ache. “I’ve wanted an apology for years, but it feels flat. I don’t think I’m ready to accept the apology, but I don’t want any more bad blood between us either.”

“That’s fine,” he said. “I am sorry, though.”

I nodded and glanced at Spencer, who gave him a blank stare.

“What’s going on here?” Daisy asked as she came over, but Jay wrapped an arm tightly around her.

I couldn’t help but feel a little smug looking at the deep blues and purples surrounding Daisy’s eye. It looked painful, and I was starting to not feel sorry that I was responsible.

“I apologized for the past and everything else. We’re dropping it, so you need to do the same,” he hissed in her ear.

Her lips flattened into a line before she glanced at me and back at him. “I’m not apologizing.”

“I wouldn’t accept it anyway.” I spun around with Spencer, and we went toward everyone else.

This trip was necessary, but I had a feeling Daisy wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut. If she didn’t, I knew the guys would have no problem leaving them in the town. I just hated how leaving them to face this world alone still bothered me after what they did.